Aftermath: Further Thoughts on PI’s

As usual, scientology “reacted” to last night’s episode with smears on Cierra Westerman before the show even aired.

Even for scientology — their approach was bizarre.

They did not disclaim the fact that she was hired by them to spy on former scientologists and Anonymous. Instead they called her a “Liar 4 Hire” and showed a picture of her wearing a confederate flag cap.

Oh, the irony. It was scientology who HIRED her. She was not paid anything to tell her story on the show. She was THEIR operative.

They put this out on the Freedom “Media Ethics Check” twitter account. This is apparently their idea of “media and ethics”??

Lame.

How much money is spent on Private Investigators by scientology?

We know how much the PI’s on Pat Broeker were paid ($12 million over 24 years) and that the PI’s on Ron Miscavige were paid $10,000 per week.

The Private Investigators are ALL hired through lawyers — it gives a level of protection on disclosure their activities, it provides plausible deniability to scientology and it masks HOW MUCH they are paid.

Here is a fact that didn’t (unfortunately) make it into the show last night.

In 1992 Scientology informed the IRS of the following in response to a question about how much money they were spending:

The Church projected expenditures on legal and professional fees at approximately $1,000,000 per month.

Let’s do a little math.

That is $12 million per year (without any growth) over 25 years = $300 million.

In today’s dollars, this is more than Half a Billion dollars spent since being granted tax exemption in 1993.

This is for lawyers to protect scientology (10 or 15 at a time if it is serious suit like Monique Rathbun’s or Laura DeCrescenzo or Debbie Cook) or harass “enemies” and for Private Investigators. None of these actions are for the public benefit.

This is NOT what tax exempt organizations should be spending money on.

Thanks to the Aftermath program, now I know that if I ever happened to see some PI harassing someone ,say, at a restaurant, and I learned that the person was an exscientologist, then II would speak up and offer to pay for the ex-scientologists meal.

I have answered this many times. You have to find a lawyer willing to do it and a group of people with similar claims that are not statute barred. Nothing prevents this from happening except the foregoing conditions. If you know a lawyer willing to take this on it would be great to offer this to people as an option.

You’re right, Scribe, Davey-Boy’s running out of foot to shoot…. NOT that he had any foot to spare in the first place, but it’s getting so he’ll need half a foot of of lift just to GET up to 5-foot tall, and he already needs a step-ladder to smack most of his minions around. poor little petite punching pontiff.

Personally, I feel the statements should read, the *organization* has REFUSED to participate, Never dignify them as a church, even just a little. Standing off and throwing potshots at the witnesses isn’t any form of participation. It’s a continued refusal to discuss the issues in a civilized manner, but who ever said scientology had any interest in civilization, much less civil discourse. They want a fascist theocracy to rule the world. Let’s first CLEAR the planet — of the evil scourge which is scientology.

Sandy, you KNOW that’s boosting their stats, don’t you? I stay away from their hate sites for fear of giving them ANY hope. THE MORE DEPRESSED the clubbed seals get, the more likely they’ll find their way out; Remember, the way OUT is THROUGH THE DOOR.

That’s true. You just want tumbling tumbleweeds and loud crickets only on all their sites. No response to their inanities whatsoever. As if they don’t exist. And at this pace that’s becoming a fast reality.

I must say that I look forward to Scientology’s smear videos almost as much as new episodes of The Aftermath. They’re just so darn inept and ridiculous that they’re entertaining! It’s hard to tell if they are a parody or for real. Foot bullets indeed. Keep em coming Scientology! It only proves what a joke of a religion you are.

Showing the real life vicious intimidation and harassment of people verified by film clips and Scn’s own documents was impressive. People who regarded Scn as just another abusive whacky cult will take a different look.

I hadn’t thought about it before that there are schools which train people to be private investigators. I suppose it would appeal to people who have an interest in law enforcement but don’t want to join the police force or a government agency.

The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes is one of my favorite books and as a kid I dove into The Hardy Boys and The Nancy Drew Mysteries detective series. The mother of a kid on my street was an avid reader and had an extensive library in her basement including those two detective series which kept me busy.

Here’s what has struck me from day one of the shows: The statements are constantly put on screen that the “Church” has chosen not to participate in the programs, yet they always display scurrilous statements and attacks on the ex-Scientologists. Has it occurred to anyone that by making these on-screen claims, they most certainly ARE participating, albeit in the most cowardly manner. I have to laugh every time I see their yammering idiocy about how dastardly the ex’s are. Let’s make this a drinking game — take a shot or slurp of your favorite adult beverage each time they claim non-participation. We’ll all be falling down drunk halfway through each episode.

” I have to laugh every time I see their yammering idiocy about how dastardly the ex’s are.”

Well CDJ, it must be because the lot of ’em need to re-do the Pee Tea Ess / Ess Pee course with full method one star rate student tech in place and Dave’s new Golden Age of Trash III for dummies if full farce in all mORGues.

Yo Dave,
Can we count on you good buddy? Whats the big surprise for yer New Years enfarcment?

Any tax exempt organization that can afford to spend $12 Million per year on attorneys’ fees (and we know that is a lowball number) certainly does not deserve to be a tax exempt organization and is definitely not a religion.

I just finished watching last night’s episode. It was chilling. Elron instructed his minions to go after the individuals that make up an organization. I believe the individuals that make up the IRS are scared to take on scientology because of that. It’s easier to turn a blind eye to the abuses. Aftermath is in its 3rd season. There’s no mystery anymore. There’s only willful ignorance. The IRS took down Al Capone and can destroy regular people for cheating on their taxes, but it won’t touch scientology.

I think we need a Holiday Jingle to celebrate the fine work Leah and Mike are doing….

A little Joking and Degrading to lift the spirits

Sung to the tune of….Do you Hear what I Hear

Are you Clear – Are you Clear?

Said the C/S to the little auditor,
Do you see what I see?
Way up in the ivory tower, little auditor,
Do you see what I see?
A rock slam, a rock slam, dancing on the meter
With a fall as big as a kite,
With a fall as big as a kite.

Said the little auditor to the degraded being
Are you clear…are YOU clear?
Regging him all night until he is broke,
Are you clear are YOU clear?
A rock slam – a rock slam – dancing on the meter
With a fall as big as the the sea,
With a fall as big as the the sea.

Said the Registrar to the mighty P/C,
“Do you know what I know?
In your bank account – you money PC
We need it now now now now?
A P/C, a P/C shivers in the cold–
May he find some cal mag and protein
May he find some cal mag and protein

Said the C/S to the Preclears everywhere,
Listen to what I say!
Time to audit out your sanity or beware,
Listen to what I say!
The P/C, the P/C warming his feet and eating eggs
He will bring Scientology money all night,
He will bring Scientology money all night

I hear a lot about scio’s tax exemption. Some time ago, if one were aware of any tax fraud perpetrated by an individual or group and reported it to the IRS, that person could get 10% of what the IRS collected from that person or group. My suggestion would be to start writing letters about any scio IRS fraud that you are aware. Then when you get your check, sign it over to the Aftermath Foundation.

I know this is going to sound somewhat implausible and naïve – but please, hear me out and possibly give it some critical thought.

$ obtained its tax exempt status by bullying the IRS with the threat of 24-2500 lawsuits. Well, there’s the old adage, ‘fight fire with fire’.

Anyone familiar with the film, ‘Spotlight’, which highlighted the Boston Globe’s probe into the Catholic church’s cover-up of child sexual abuse among its ranks, will recall a single attorney who initially brought the issue to the courts’/public’s attention, Mitchell Garabedian; he had filed 84 INDIVIDUAL lawsuits against the Catholic church (Not a class action).

There is a list of @ 2800 some-odd ex-scientologists on the internet among which Must be a fair percentage of lawyers. Wouldn’t it be Sensational if each of those attorneys, along with any others willing to donate their efforts to the cause, would each initiate even a minimum of 50 individual legal actions. If you could garner as few as 20-25 individuals to do so, that’s 1,000-1,400 suits – a good start. The groups of suits could cover a range of accusations from child abuse, to fraud, to human trafficking, to false imprisonment, ad infinitum. With the amount of public exposure and support already won, I can see at least striking a significant, increased and even fatal blow to their credibility. Statutes of Limitations be damned. Inundate them with the same S–t they so liberally sling around!. With just the Threat of action, they’d have arms flailing and be ‘swatting flies’ from all angles, and that translates to Megabucks being spent in the process. Practically speaking, how long would Miscreant stand by and watch his coffers shrink by such a degree? Further, do not forget that you are dealing with scumbags and cowards who may be counted on to attack each other like crazed barracudas.

Not only would I hope the government could not ignore that Extent of public display and pressure, but that the IRS would (wisely) take advantage of the legal support. As I’ve said before, my friends call me ‘cockeyed optimist’. Thanks for ‘listening’.

The thing that gets me about Church use of PIs is the fact that Chickenshit Miscavige and lackeys like McShane, Linda Hamel and all the OSA Invest guys like Frits Kevenaar, Neil O’Reilly, Gaving Idda, et al are such cowards about it. The wimps and babies brigade hide behind the lawyers whom the PIs “work for” – which is all a big, fat cowardly lie. OSA staff vet and hire the PIs, brief and run the PIs. The lawyer does none of that in practical reality and is just a convenient cut out. Great life guys – you spend all your time and money making other peoples lives miserable, all the while hiding the fact. At least some of you cowards read this blog. How does it feel to have that as your product in life and how do any of you sleep at night?

Hi, you forgot Ed Parkin. Anyway, Ed, Frits, Neil and Gavin are actually
quite levelheaded, thoughtful and smart guys. Even Linda could be some-
what decent. That is why it s so hard to wrap my wits around the fact they
behave so despicably. I mean if I managed to get a word in with them it
would be: LOOK (do what LRH say) at the world today compared to when
we came into the church in the 70’s or late 60’s. US, never seen such
division and high volume indecency (yes, I was part of anti-Vietnam protest
but that was not the same). Venezuela is on the brink of civil war (what
happened to the WTH?). There are other Latin countries which are doing
extremely poorly. And please do not look at the Middle East where the
downward spiral is out of control. Globally, I just hope our offspring has
time to get the climate, land and oceans in some kind of shape to survive.
And in all this what is REALLy Scientology doing with all its billions? I
mean really doing? You know there are no superhuman abilities. Yes,
there are some wins to be made at the bottom of the grade chart like
a life repair. But clear and OT, that was just Ron’s wish list. Something
he was striving to attain himself but realized in the end he had failed.
You should read Mark Rathbun’s books before he defected from the
defectors.

Criminals, bullies, and assholes can be level-headed and smart. They are still, in the case of veteran OSA operatives, criminals, bullies, and assholes who have spent DECADES ruining people.
Also: the words ” wins ” and ” grade chart “mean nothing outside of scientology: they are the loaded language of a cult built on lies and a
“bridge ” to moral and financial bankruptcy. The only people that have won in scientology are Hubbard and the current asshat who runs his ” church “.

I bought a rag at the store cuz it has story about Tom Cruise and Suri and how he is fighting Katie to get Suri for Xmas this year and will lavish her with gifts, But this is after having NO contact with Suri since 2012. Why no contact with his daughter for 6 years? Because the church ordered him to disconnect from the mom, Katie, and he also had to disconnect from the daughter, Suri, because Suri is connected to the mom. They don’t even let you have a connection via another innocent victim between you.

The story says that a source close to Tom said this is the church pushing for this Xmas reunion. It said that the church has had such bad PR and this is a step to fix it in Tom’s case. They aren’t after recovering Katie to the fold, but instead they want it to be seen as, “Katie and Suri are passively co-existing with the church, and maybe then potential followers would be less suspicious.”

So now the church is impaled on its own petard. They forced Tom to disconnect and now they have to do a 180 degree turnaround to make him force Katie into letting him see Suri for Xmas and making a big deal of it. If she does agree, you can be sure Tom will take photo ops of himself with Suri and it will be all over the press and social media, all so as to make the church appear benign and that they didn’t order the previous disconnection of six years.

Exactly, once again proving that if you have lots of money and donate it to the cult, you can break any rule and write your own ticket with DM. Ethics penalties are for the poor chumps who have no money to donate bigtime.

Just for some perspective, that half billion dollars, divided by a membership of about 20,000 (roughly, because that has obviously changed over time), is $25,000 per member. That while savings accounts and retirement funds are emptied, and members even go bankrupt and lose their homes, under the pressure to donate to supposedly save the planet; and while Scientology’s orgs can’t even pay their staffs poverty-level wages, or keep toilet paper in the bathrooms.

I think that’s a reminder that religious-designated non-profits, ought to at least be required to provide outside audited financial statements as a matter of transparency and accountability, so that donors and the general public can at least know what is happening with funds that have the privilege of tax exemption. Regular non-profits are required to do exactly that.

I’d love to be a fly on the wall at Freedom when they brainstorm how they are going devastate new enemy’s of the church. All this is a reflection of the insanity nurtured by writings of the man who was going to save the beings of the Universe.
Hubbard’s failed beyond his wildest nightmares.

Can you believe I found a Freedom mag
displayed amongst all the other magazines/
periodicals in a library in Texas. Yes I told
the Chief Librarian he is showing a cult
mag. But he did have most of the ex-
scientologists books. He even knew about
Leah!

I agree, but the church would not. That’s why i suggest putting churches in the same exact category as other charities, complete with a means test for public benefit to determine whether the group ‘offers a public benefit in the opinion of the US government’ because right now there is none.

And even if there is no means test, charities are still required to have open books. ‘Good churches’ would go along with this but bad churches would fight it.

(Btw i’m an antitheist so i don’t think there are any good churches-the good outweighs the bad-but you know what i mean. Some groups are less corrupt and awful than others.)

There’s a simple way to get an even more powerful entity than the Church of Scientology and you already have all the resources at your disposal to get them on board.

If abortions already piss off the pro-life movement with their millions of dollars, tens of thousands of supporters, their army of lawyers and lobbyists and the ears of hundreds of republican politicians who count on their endorsements and campaign contributions…well how do you think they’d react to FORCED abortions?

With an award-winning tv show to your name you’d have less trouble scheduling a sit-down with the leaders of pro-life groups and evangelical churches with those documents in hand to show that the forced abortions are happening and to such an extent that even abortion providers were “alarmed.”

Get THEM to spend their put their resources on the very issue they exist to fight. Get them to rally their tens of thousands of supporters to protest at Flag, the Celebrity Center and every damned building in the country with Scientology on the sign. Let’s see Scientology try to bully a movement that’s bigger and more powerful than they have ever been whose convictions are driven by the belief that they are doing God’s work.

Because of the brave witnesses that have come forward, I think that $ci has adjusted some of their long held practices to be less visible and egregious. I think that the forced abortion issue is one of these. Those that have suffered and have spoken up are vilified by $ci but have paved the way for superficially more humane treatment. It’s harder to catch $ci on this issue, on the squalid conditions of the hole, and others. There may even be pay raises to deflect from the unfair labor practices. And ongoing and increasing efforts to safepoint.

H., there are a few principled groups protesting Scientology’s ongoing coerced abortions – but the rest of the nominally pro-life movement has turned a blind eye, presumably because their leadership has calculated that they’re more concerned about a crackdown on Scientology and its financial practices somehow then bringing them unwanted scrutiny, than they are about sticking to the principles that their rhetoric might lead one to believe they consider inviolable.

The recent investigation of the Philadelphia archdiocese, revealed even Catholic Church officials turning a blind eye to priests paying for abortions when they had impregnated young women.

Ha! You’d think the way they preach about God and Jesus and sin and hell and that children are a gift from God etc. that they’d take a public stand against a CHURCH forcing its workers to have abortions…you’d THINK.

But, no, sorry. Not going to happen. Appearances to the contrary, the last thing the Religious Right gives a God-Damn about is ethics and morality. All their leadership cares about is political power. Isn’t that obvious by now?

They talk a good game, though. I’ll grant you that.

But talk is as far as it goes with – oh, what is it they call themselves – The Party of Family Values. Yeah, that’s it. Family Values…what a joke!

No, don’t count on the RR. They’ll scream and cry and moan about babies being killed in the womb and how we need conservative judges to overturn Roe Versus Wade so that women can’t even have CONSENSUAL abortions. Oh, they’ll weep and gnash their teeth, alright.

But will they decry the Church of Scientology for FORCING abortions on its clergy?

Well, you’d think they would. You’d think they SHOULD. That would appear a reasonable assumption.

What a great episode. While my heart goes out to all of you and your guests, I am thrilled to see the lies and abuses exposed.

Over and over and over and over again, you guys just HIT that “tax exemption” target.

It’s so great to have it shoved in the faces, so very well defined – that these are tax free dollars that are being used to harm people. I’m not under any illusions as to the size of the task, but at least it’s OUT THERE loudly and clearly….

It’s so funny…. DM, by all reports, is such a vicious little SOB, and rules the roost, shuts people down and “Off With the Head, To the Dungeon With You…..” …he’s SO used to being the loud and scary voice in the room…

and here’s Mike….

and here’s Leah….

Saying DM’s name over and over again and emblazoning the worldwide stage and screen with DM’s nasty crimes, you both stand there with impunity, talking the truthful trash about his actions and motives and tactics…..

…….
He must be apoplectic with impotent rage.

🙂

What a cheerful thought!

….
addition:

love all the evidence used …. hit them with the exact hubbard quotes, hit them with the horrific headlines of long ago, telling the stories of their crimes…and showing how

Ironic for sure. What’s most ridiculous is they come out with their ridiculous “liar for hire” label to suit their purposes. But she came forward and told her story of her own accord (knowing she’d face backlash) months ago FOR FREE on Tony’s blog and then again on Aftermath! That’s because she wanted to do the RIGHT thing!

They were the ones who gave her the ridiculous, harassing assignment. She risked personal and professional embarrassment and scrutiny to tell the truth – and all without any settlement, suit or otherwise. Quite simply, they’re baffled because that’s “out exchange.” She’s making no money, not out to harm anyone and wanted to make things right with people who’s lives were effected by this assignment (from a so-called “church”) yet this champion of “ethics” has no idea what to do or say about it because doing the right thing when there’s no financial upside or revenge to be had doesn’t even compute within the cult of slime-a-tology!

Two extraordinary brave-courageous men who didn’t yield to unimaginable pressure…..few of us could have endured the horrific abuse placed on Robert & Mike Rinder
.
Is there ANYONE….ANY COMPANY who has the GRIT & BALLS to stand NEXT TO Robert Almblad…..no no no…not behind him….NEXT TO HIM to get his invention marketed in the face of being challenged by “them”….

Imagine a “group” who are more then willing to pay Rinder whatever amount he demands to keep his mouth shut forever…..& destroy a perfect friendship by turning his back on Robert…..

Cierra as a young impressionable young woman became involved & manipulated into all of this from the get go by a young man she foolishly fell in love with & she willingly did his bidding to please him. It lead to her own downfall & near destruction. Like Valerie & so many others, she no doubt will be hounded, followed, harassed, intimidated by the hired help by “them”.

We can only hope that as more shows are aired/viewed those on the outside will begin to understand what’s really going on…when they see someone being chased after, photographed, recorded & it goes on and on. A good thing to have all this out there….PAID Private Investigators over a “religion” someone leaves….as Mike said the difference between a cult & church is what happens when you try to OR leave…PRICELESS words of wisdom.

Yes, when you decide to leave the cult, for any reason, they hunt you down and then hurt you. For many people, this hurt causes them to return. Not because they want to, but because they they don’t want more “hurt” losing friends, family and business or disclosure of your “confessionals” on the internet (which they routinely do)

Today Scientology is primarily supported by whales and foreigners (non English speaking). DM’s false expansion news is a deck of cards built upside down in an 8.0 earthquake. Good luck with that.

Why not go after Google instead, if not with lawsuits than a with a campaign in the press that points out they are taking their money to put these libelous, defaming “Who is…” pages at the top of any Google search related to the name of any critic of Scientology. It doesn’t take a lawsuit to shame them into not playing a part in their campaign of harassment.

I cried watching the show.
For you folks who still think scientology is a valid philosophy or a religion or a spiritual path, look again. Really look. And for you folks who recognize this cult mafia for the Miscavige pimp-and-slap-for-profit inurement scheme that it is: write letters and emails to your elected officials and the IRS . Inform your friends and family and neighbors. If you are dealing with scientology staff members in publuc, POLITELY tell them you are not interested in what they are offering, and why. If any of these individuals are willing to converse with you, consider asking questions that might pull them out of their robotic patter and assumed superiority, like…why is that you, as an individual, are COMPLETELY
RESPONSIBLE FOR YOUR CONDITION AND REPUTATION, BUT SCIENTOLOGY, AS A GROUP, IS NOT, AND IS ONLY AND ALWAYS A ‘ VICTIM ‘ OF UNWARRANTED, BASELESS ATTACKS? There are tons of other questions one could ask…that might plant seeds of doubt that blossom into curiosity and hard questions and unflinching research…that snap another cult member out of his or her hypnotically induced slavery to Hubbard and
His Sadistic Homunculus.
Remini and Rindaaaaah! Stay The Course, y’all are on point!
Yo, Ecclesiastical Bitch Slapper: Bubba has your orange dress laundered and ready; your
anticipated arrival in cellblock 47 has La Eme, Aryan Nations, and the Black Guerilla Family, in a rare interlude of prison racial harmony, negotiating ass-tapping rights…

Nobody pulls anything in, except the kid caught with his hand in the cookie jar, and the banksters who learned from the kid. Everywhere else, it’s just a fiction and fable invented by Hubbard in one of his oft-drugged states of manic typing.

Scientology “whales” that donate millions are doing it for 2 reasons: 1) So the cult does not turn on them and ruin their lives, families and businesses and 2) to get the status and tax benefits of paying millions into a “charitable” organization.

Every Scientologist I met in my 45 years in Scientology, including LRH, abhorred ANY charitable action. “Make the able, more able” is a strict LRH policy so there is NO CHARITY in Scientology by their own policy. None. Never. There is only PRETEND charity with fake photo shoots at disaster sites. There are many, many examples of their fake photo shoots to try to superficially prove they are a charitable organization. What a joke. Ironically, EVERY Scientologist knows they are NOT A CHARITABLE ORGANIZATION.. Only the IRS thinks Scientology is a charitable organization.

In Scientology the job of helping the “down and out” is left to the US government to do and to pick up the tab. Charitable events like an earth quake or forest fire CANNOT spend Miscavige’s tax free dollars beyond the fake photo shoot of a few Scientology neophyte members pretending to help in a disasters zone to prove (lie) to the IRS that they are indeed a charitable, but filthy rich organization. Instead they get in the way of the Red Cross, and other real charitable organizations that ARE helping. There are many examples of this too.

Thank you Robert for your invaluable contribution to the episode last night, you were awesome and such a courageous and upstanding human being. I had tears. I appreciate what you did from the bottom of my heart. Of course I appreciate the ex-PI as well, she is also hugely courageous. THANK YOU. I remember you from the Apollo, Robert ….

Wow Lois, yes I remember you too from the Apollo too… We were young and skinny then but not very rich….. 45 years later we might be rich, but we are no longer young and skinny! Those were the days. What adventure. I loved working for LRH, He recognized in me an ability to handle MEST and gave me the hard “mechanical” jobs no one on board could solve.

Well, nice to hear from you and thanks so much for your kinds words Lois. You made my day…. 🙂

Mr. Almblad, I don’t know if you saw my comment yesterday about what a literal lifesaver your sterile ice machine would be for folks like me who have transplants and take immunosuppressants to maintain them. I am no whale; I’m much more like a mosquito with just a tiny amount of money to invest, a grand or so. But what would happen if a lot of folks like me, call us mosquito investors, got together to crowdfund prototyping to a more commonly purchasable model and then demanded it from our legislators to eliminate ice bacteria in restaurants, cinemas, fast food joints, and anywhere else we get drinks?

I’m willing to contribute heavily from my SSDI if you are willing to start again, sir. (‘Sir,’ by the way, is a term I only use out of the highest respect, and never because someone’s mandated that I do so.)

Hi rivercs
Sorry, I didn’t see your earlier comment… things have been hectic since Leah and Mike’s show.

No problem with getting a medical ice machine to market. Good, worthwhile safety products always make their way to the market with enough persistence from the inventor. The ice machine companies and hospitals are well aware of the problem and many, many engineers have been working on solutions that are practical. I just came up with the best one and patented it. The head of engineering of a large ice machine company is investing time and money to get this “Safe Ice” machine to market.

It’s more like bringing new braking system for cars to car manufacturers and telling them that their cars lose control and don’t stop well in the snow and are killing people. No one wants to admit their brakes cause a car to lose control on snow packed roads, but eventually the research scientists, managers and inventors gave us our our ABS (Automated Braking System) on all our cars so we all drive a lot safer today.

Anyway, thanks for your offer of help. Very kind and thoughtful of you…

It amazes me that this organization would destroy someone who had been in for as long as you had been. Someone who was also on the cusp of being able to be bilked for millions of dollars in donations had your invention been successfully picked up by hospitals. Be glad you are out and thank you.

Thanks Dave, I never thought of it that way, but it is very true. They always left me alone to make money and give it to them (which I did) but when I hired Mike, Miscavige had a pissy fit.

DM knew both of us personally (MIke much better of course) but he knew this was a terrible, terrible combination. Also, there was a third person involved that frightened DM down to his boots and that was Dave Richards (RIP) He was the recipient of a kahkan award from LRH and Commanding Officer of the Founding Church in DC in early 70’s. A great friend to both Mike and I.

I think pressure should be brought to do an audit. The IRS has the authority to audit tax exempt organizations. They can’t hide behind the first amendment.
I am certain they would find that DM has used church funds for his personal gain.
Then they could revoke the tax exempt status without having to debate whether it’s a religion or whether there has been abuse.

Mike I don’t know how you keep it together. Listening to Robert last night was with a lot of TP, candels, my wonderfull partner and puppie and I still cried buckets.
So grateful for everyone helping in this.
You know the IRS does offer a whistelblower commision?

“A proud Confederate Flag Lover and Gun Nut”
Is that supposed to resonate with me? More PC bullshit. The Confederate Flag is not racist. The civil war was about states rights. They also don’t have a clue why gun ownership shall not be infringed. Media ethics check my ass. Scientology hasn’t a clue what ethics is. They don’t even know the difference between right and wrong.

The Southern states seceded and started the war over slavery. They weren’t shy about it either. Read the articles of secession from each state if you don’t believe me. They’re easy to find online. Each and every one makes it clear they were seceding to preserve slavery. They cared about states rights only so far as it involved preserving and expanding slavery.

The Confederate flag is a symbol of a would be nation whose only purpose was maintaining their right to keep people in bondage. The flag was then pulled out of retirement in the 50s by segregationists because they understood the symbolism quite well. Better than you, apparently.

There’s a long and sordid history behind that flag and there’s damned good reasons why it belongs in the trash dump of history. To defend it is to be either ignorant of what happened, or to believe the Confederacy, racism, and slavery were all great.

Peabody, the Confederate Flag is a mere symbol, like all flags are symbols of something, and as such open to interpretation.

A flag can and does mean different things to different individuals and groups. The Confederate Flag may well be honored and respected as a symbol of States Rights to you, , but to others, to African Americans whose forbears were brought to this country against their will in chains, to those Americans whose ancestors lived their lives as human property to be bought, sold, bred and kept to perform manual labor and be otherwise used to service the needs, wants, whims and caprices of their owners,whose forbears were forbidden to read, forbidden to congregate, forbidden to marry – to these descendents of former slaves, the Confederate Flag is an evil symbol, and very, very upsetting to them.

They don’t want to see it flying in public places like courtrooms and libraries and they are right

It doesn’t mean to them what it means to you.

This should be understandable and not a big deal, in that there is no prohibition against flying the Confederate Flag or ANY flag for that matter, from one’s house or car or truck, – one’s lawn, etc. – , this is personal property, and anyone can fly any flag from one’s personal property or carry it themselves in a public demonstration.

But as a COUNTRY , there is ONE flag, only one flag that is the symbol of the United States of America, and its the only flag that should be flying in our courtrooms, parks, and other public areas that are created and maintained by public tax dollars.

(Actually I said that a bit wrong: in each courtroom the state flag is also flown along with the Stars and Stripes.)

Perhaps the most complicated legacy of the war was its claim to have liberated millions of African-Americans from slavery. This was not the official purpose of the war when it began in 1861, but it became so, especially after the scale of the war required a cause worthy of so great a sacrifice.

Many considered the Constitution to be a non-binding agreement: they believed that the different civilizations, now called “states,” could leave the common government at any time they chose. Secession was not ruled illegal until after the war.

The primary reason for the south seceding from the Union was to protect the right to own slaves.

When Lincoln was elected, many of the southern states decided they no longer wanted to be a part of the United States.

They felt that they had every right to leave. Starting with South Carolina, eleven states would eventually leave the United States and form a new country called the Confederate States of America.

Abraham Lincoln said they did not have the right to leave the United States and sent in troops to stop the South from leaving. Lincoln declared that he would do everything necessary to keep the United States united as one country. He refused to recognize the southern states as an independent nation and the Civil War erupted in the spring of 1861.

Lincoln continued to insist that this was a war to save the Union, not to free slaves.

I made my original comment because some moron scio called someone else a Confederate Flag Lover and a Gun Nut in an attempt to debase her, and as a result, the comments have totally gone off topic. I should just keep my mouth shut, and that’s a promise.

Thank you for adding this more detailed comment.
Your statements about Lincoln’s motives and the southern states’ collective opinion about the non-binding nature of the constitution are accurate and backed by voluminous documentary proof.
And, no, the Emancipation Proclamation didn’t free the slaves and…yes, Lincoln believed black people to be inferior and undeserving of and incapable of being American citizens with equal rights( also backed by lots of documentary evidence, e.g. Lincoln’s political speeches ). And so on…
It’s a fascinating and incendiary topic of discussion ,for sure. Whether I agree with you or not, I sincerely celebrate and acknowledge your right to express your opinion. Thanks for your contribution here.

I think last night’s show illustrates who the CoS really is better than just about anything. I’ve seem them all so far and this is the best one in my humble opinion. What’s truly sad is that a potentially life saving device was used as a pawn for their filthy fair game operations. I believe in religious freedom, even if you want to be a Scientologist but these policies they have are downright poison.

The victims of Scientology are certainly welcome to file s class action lawsuit provided they have claims that are not barred by the student of limitations and that they can find an attorney willing to bring the case. There is no barrier to anyone suing.

There is also the liability that they do not
get a good lawyer (against a squadron of
high powered Scientology lawyers) and so
loses the case. Then Scientology can use
that case they won in their eventual next
litigation. I know, so many checks and
balances. The big bucks often talks the
loudest.

I’m always entertained by what scientology comes up with after the show airs. I’m now seeing freedom magazine articles in my news feed (I assume that’s because I follow the show and the Aftermath Foundation). The latest was a video of poorly edited clips with stories about A&E executives, producers, guests, etc. I watched all 5 minutes laughing hysterically! Mike and Leah have started a movement that will end this travesty of a “church” and I’ve been with them from the beginning. I am so amazed by the strength and courage of every one that has stood up to these heathens. My thoughts and prayers are with you all.

Wow. This story last night, with Cierra Westerman, makes me think of those super hero movies where the villains always have the huge corporations, lots of lawyers and they seem to be impenetrable to us little people. But, just as in those movies, there is a crack and that crack begins with Mike Rinder and Leah Remini. He is the super hero taking on the big corporation that appears to be impenetrable. Like water dripping slowly onto a rock little by little the rock is worn down. Similarly, one day at a time, truth is exposed and truth always wins out eventually.

Important Quotes

If the org slumps during this transition period, don't engage in "fund raising"
or "selling postcards" or borrowing money. Just make more income with Scientology.
L Ron Hubbard From HCOPL URGENT ORG PROGRAMMING

"We own a tremendous amount of property. We own a tremendous amount of material and so forth, and it keeps growing.
But that’s not important. When buildings get important to us, for God sakes, some of you born revolutionists will you please blow up central headquarters".
L Ron Hubbard Lecture 31 Dec 1960

"Personal integrity is knowing what you know. What you know is what you know and to have the courage to know and say what you have observed".- LRH from Personal Integrity

"It is necessary to happiness of man, that he be mentally faithful to himself. Infidelity does not consist in believing, or in disbelieving; it consists of professing to believe what he does not believe." Thomas Paine

“Our lives begin to end the day we become silent about things that matter.” - Martin Luther King

“The ultimate measure of a man is not where he stands in moments of comfort and convenience, but where he stands at times of challenge and controversy.” - Martin Luther King

“There comes a time when silence is betrayal.” - Martin Luther King Jr.

“Communication is the universal solvent” - L Ron Hubbard

“When men yield up the privilege of thinking, the last shadow of liberty quits the horizon.” Thomas Paine

"Never be afraid to raise your voice for honesty and truth and compassion against injustice and lying and greed. If people all over the world would do this, it would change the earth." William Faulkner

"The ultimate authority must always rest with the individual's own reason and critical analysis." Dalai Lama